Week 19 - Calling Overcomers

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1 Monday Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:10-23; 2 Tim. 3; Rev. 2:1-7 He answered and said to them, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given (Matt. 13:11). Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works (Rev. 2:5a) THE PARABLES IN MATTHEW 13 AND THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN REVELATION 2 AND 3 In the gospel of Matthew chapter 13, we find the record of seven parables which the Lord compares to the kingdom of the heavens. He spoke many things in parables because people s hearts were hard and insensitive, such that they could not see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn to the Lord for healing (vv ). These people were insensitive because they lived in the realm of the soul-life. To His disciples, however, who seek to live in the spirit, the Lord reveals His mysteries (v. 11). The seven parables presented by the Lord Jesus are related to the seven churches in Revelation recorded in chapters 2 and 3. We can say that the churches are the fulfillment of the parables in Matthew 13. Not only was the Spirit revealing the situation of the believers in Asia during the first centuries of the church, but also the spiritual significance and the meaning of the names of each one of the seven churches. The first parable is the parable of the sower, which was fulfilled by the church in Ephesus, during the church s first century. Although the name Ephesus means desirable, the church there fell into degradation during Paul s time, as described in 2 Timothy 3. By reading this chapter, we might ask ourselves, How can a church in that condition be desirable? The Lord revealed to John the problem of the church in Ephesus: Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent (Rev. 2:4-5). Dissatisfied with the situation in Ephesus, God used the apostle John at the end of the first century to restore it back to a desirable condition. We can say that during his twenty years of exile in the island of Patmos, John learned to live in the Spirit. Knowing that His servant would be faithful, God commissioned John to record the words revealed to him: Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches (1:19-20). After writing the book of Revelation and being released from exile, John went to Ephesus to serve the church there. Knowing that the church in Ephesus occupied a special and important position since Paul s time, the apostle John sought to help the saints there practice the revelation of the epistle Paul had written and rescue the church there from the degraded situation it was in. Practicing the revelation of the Word to escape all degradation. Your Why did God use John to recover the church in Ephesus? THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 1

2 Tuesday Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-11, 23-41; Rev. 2:5-7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7) THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS UNDER THE LEADING OF PAUL In order to be useful to the Lord, it is necessary to be filled with the Spirit, as was John even in prison. After being released from exile, John proceeded to Ephesus in order to help the church there overcome degradation; there, he led the saints out of the realm of the soul and into the spirit. Before John s arrival, the church in Ephesus received Paul during his third missionary journey. It is important to stress that during his second journey, Paul and Silas were completely faithful to the direction of the Spirit. On his third journey, Paul went alone to Ephesus: And finding some disciples he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. And he said to them, Into what then were you baptized? So they said, Into John s baptism (Acts 19:1b-3). Paul showed them that the baptism unto repentance was to prepare them to receive the Lord Jesus: And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied (v. 6). Moreover, Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul (v. 11). Here we can see that instead of supplying people with life and helping them to live in the spirit as he did during his second journey, Paul led the church to practices that did not have a very healthy result. Still in Ephesus, And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years (Acts 19:8-10a). Due to excessive emphasis on arguments and discussions, the Ephesians ended up immersed in the realm of the soul and left their first love. Paul had decided to go to Jerusalem and Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Diana, gathered other craftsmen and persuaded them against Paul who had said that those were not gods which are made with hands. The city was taken by a great confusion, and the angry craftsmen seized Paul s companions. Paul wanted to present himself to the people, but his disciples would not allow him. This great commotion by the craftsmen against Paul was not accidental. Actually, the Holy Spirit allowed it to take place for Paul had not led the saints in Ephesus to the Spirit and life. Rather, the saints there had been introduced into the realm of the mind and of the outward manifestations of the Spirit. Paul had given too much emphasis to healings, power and miracles, which caused God to allow that situation to take place so that Paul would no longer remain in Ephesus. Tomorrow, we will see the end of this journey in Jerusalem, where Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome to be judged. At that point, his building ministry had come to an end. Remaining in the line of the Spirit and life. Your What was the result of Paul s direction to the church in Ephesus? THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 2

3 Wednesday Scripture Reading: Acts 21:27-34; 25:9-12; 28:16, 30-31; Gal. 1:11-17; Eph. 1:3-14; 1 Tim. 1:3-7; Philem. How that by revelation 8-20 He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Eph. 3:3-4, 10) PAUL S EPISTOLARY MINISTRY The apostle Paul went on three missionary journeys, going to Jerusalem at the end of the third one. Despite being warned not to go to Jerusalem by the Spirit and by some brothers, Paul did not change his mind. When he arrived there, Paul made an Old Testament vow. However, when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place (Acts 21:27-28). The men of Israel gathered and tried to take Paul s life. And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar... Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done (vv , 33). God preserved Paul s life. He had fallen short in his ministry of building the church and seemed to be confused, nearly fulfilling an Old Testament vow in order to satisfy those in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, God intervened, preventing Paul from being stoned to death. At that point, Paul had not yet written the books which recorded the revelation he had received concerning God s New Testament economy, which he was shown in the beginning of his ministry when he left Damascus and went to Arabia (Gal. 1:15-17). Since he was a Roman citizen, Paul appealed to Caesar and was taken to Rome, where he was placed in house arrest to await his judgment. There, he preached the gospel to the whole palace guard and to the house of Caesar (Phil. 1:13; 4:22). During that time, Paul continued his epistolary ministry by recording the revelation he had received in Arabia and wrote four epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. Philemon had a slave called Onesimus, who had been arrested and placed where Paul was. In his epistle, Paul says that Onesimus, which means useful, had been useless in the past, but after receiving the Lord through Paul, he had become useful and his companion in prison. While Paul awaited his judgment, he was placed on conditional release, during which time he revisited some churches. When he arrived in Ephesus, Paul realized that the church there was in degradation. The Ephesians had already received his epistle which spoke of God s New Testament economy, that is, God s objective Faith being worked into our subjective faith. Paul was very disappointed, for the saints in Ephesus had not practiced the content of the epistle he had written them. They remained in the realm of the soul, merely taking those truths as a subject of discussion and analysis, rather than practicing the content of the epistle directed to them. We praise the Lord, for today we still have the opportunity to practice the truths He has revealed to us! Practicing the revelation of God s Word. Your Why did God preserve Paul s life when he was captured in Jerusalem? THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 3

4 Thursday Scripture Reading: Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:1-16, 37-41; 6:8-13; 8:1, 4 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved [ ] Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 2:21; 4:12) THE VITALITY OF THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM AT THE BEGINNING During the time of the apostles, the churches had difficulty practicing the revelation in the Word according to God s purpose. Hence, instead of advancing, the condition of the churches became degraded. At that time, God allowed Paul and Peter to be martyred, as well as the Roman Empire to send an army led by General Titus to Jerusalem and destroy the city. The city and the temple had been destroyed, and the church and its leaders had been arrested or martyred. The beginning of the church was filled with vitality, for they all called on the Lord s name (Acts 2:21). In those days there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven (v. 5). Then, it happened that one hundred and twenty Galileans became filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly speaking God s Word in Jerusalem. These Galileans were simple fishermen, but when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? (vv. 6-8). Despite being uncultured men, they were speaking real and intelligible languages from many parts of the world. This had been a sign of the Holy Spirit and a result of the outpouring of the Spirit of power upon those disciples. Nevertheless, that sign could not bring salvation; not even speaking in many different languages, signs, miracles or healings had to do with life here. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day (vv ). They were filled with the Spirit of power and the people could see the outward manifestation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, prophesied by Joel: dreams, speaking in tongues and prophesying. Yet, in order to be saved, they should do what Joel had also prophesied: And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved (Joel 2:32a). It was as if he had said: What you have seen cannot save you; only calling on the Lord s name can save you. By keeping the practice of calling on the Lord s name, the church in Jerusalem was able to grow and keep its vitality. In the very beginning, three thousand people were baptized, and, shortly after, another five thousand. Calling on the Lord s name is of utmost importance. Do you want to be saved? If you called on the Lord s name with your heart and touching the Spirit, you will be saved and will receive God s life, which is the eternal life (Rom. 10:13; John 20:31). Maintaining the practice of calling on the Lord s name. Your What produced the vitality at the beginning of the church in Jerusalem? THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 4

5 Friday Scripture Reading: John 14:16-26; Acts 2:42-47; 8:1; 9:1-8, 13-18; Rev. 1:9-11, If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you (John 13:17; 14:25-26) THE EMPHASIS OF THE APOSTLE JOHN S MINISTRY IN HIS MATURITY The church in Jerusalem had a good beginning and grew in number, calling on the Lord s name. The saints there continued in one accord and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). Due to the persecution of those who called on the Lord s name, the saints from Jerusalem were dispersed and many cities were reached. Paul, who had been a persecutor of those calling on the Lord s name, was saved and began calling on the Lord s name himself (9:21, 27-28). Many churches were raised and visited by him. In his second missionary journey, Paul was in the Spirit and the Lord was with him; yet, on his third journey, he brought practices to the church in Ephesus that emphasized doctrinal knowledge and the manifestations of the Spirit. After that, the church in Ephesus was no longer desirable. The saints there began living in the realm of the soul, according to what is described in 2 Timothy 3 and Revelation 2:4. After receiving a vision during his exile on the island of Patmos, John wrote the book of Revelation. Upon his release, he went to Ephesus to serve the church there and found it in degradation. John s service consisted of helping the church to call on the Lord s name and to practice the content of Paul s epistle to the Ephesians. John was in the Spirit and he saw that the epistle was filled with truths. Its content concerns God s New Testament economy: the Father, the Son and the Spirit dispensing His life into the tripartite man. When John saw the condition of the saints there, he remembered what the Lord Jesus had spoken when He was with them. During those three in a half years, He had already spoken about the Triune God s desire to dispense Himself into His children (John 14:16-20). The writers of the other three gospels emphasized the Lord Jesus exemplary person, yet none of them had recorded the words of life which Jesus had spoken. Matthew was a tax collector, a government official, possessing slightly more knowledge than the others; therefore, he was able to take note of crucial points in the Lord s words concerning the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 3:2). Mark wrote about the person of the Lord Jesus in the aspect of His service, whereas Luke wrote about the Lord s human living filled with excellent virtues. John had been preserved by the Lord when the Roman Empire persecuted the church. Peter, being one of the main church leaders, was condemned to death; John was considered his accomplice and according to Roman law, rather than being killed, he was kept in prison for twenty years. During that time, he remembered the words the Lord had spoken, as well as other words which He had not spoken during the three and a half years He spent with the disciples. In exile, John was supplied by the Spirit of reality (John 14:16-26). We praise the Lord, for today we can depend on the Spirit; when we call on the Lord s name, we receive His life. It is also through the Spirit that we receive revelation from the Lord s Word. We hope to continue practicing these words, so that we will not fall into the same condition as the churches during Paul s time, taking the truths as a mere subject of discussion and analysis. Enjoying the Spirit of reality to not lose focus. Your How did the apostle John help the church in Ephesus? THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 5

6 Saturday Scripture Reading: John 1:1-14; 14:16-18; 3 John 12; Rev. 2:1-7 To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7b) THE WAY TO RESTORE THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS By being in spirit, the apostle John saw the need to go to Ephesus and help the saints there practice the contents of the epistle Paul wrote to them. John remembered the Lord s words and realized that there were many truths recorded in that epistle. When he went to Ephesus, John received the burden to write his gospel in which he spoke concerning the Father: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (1:1); the Son: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (v. 14). As the Son, in flesh and blood, He could not be with us always; in the beginning of chapter 14, John spoke about the Lord Jesus death and resurrection. It was necessary for the Lord to go to the Father, so the Spirit of reality, the life-giving Spirit, would come to us. In Ephesus, John did not speak his own words, but he led the saints there to practice the content of what Paul had already conveyed through his epistle. Through John s ministry, the church in Ephesus changed completely: the saints grew in life, and Ephesus became a center of the work from which John could send out coworkers to other regions (3 John 5-8). During his third journey, Paul was driven out of Ephesus by Demetrius, the silversmith. In John s third epistle, Demetrius is also mentioned, but this time, he had changed; he had become a pattern of whom many bore a good testimony. Although we may not have been as evil as Demetrius, we were also God s enemies; nevertheless, there has been much change in our living! By calling on the Lord s name, enjoying God s Spirit and life, we will be transformed and will overcome. The Lord is He who calls out overcomers; He knows the condition of the church. The Lord says the following about the church in Ephesus: Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love (v. 4). The first love is the love from the beginning: God is the beginning. This does not mean that there was no love in the church in Ephesus; they might have loved one another and be always together, yet they were missing the love from the beginning which proceeds from God. Human love and companionship are insufficient; they still needed God s love, which is from the beginning, from God. We were sinners and our works were evil, but God still loved us and gave us His life through His Son. We have God s life because we have touched His love (Eph. 2:1-4; 1 John 4:8). The Spirit continues to say: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7). God is calling out overcomers to feed on the tree of life, which is God Himself. In each church, the Lord calls out overcomers. An overcomer is someone who allows his soul to be permeated by the divine life; he is someone who has life in abundance (John 10:10). May we be these ones who call on the Lord s name, practice His Word, and are restored back to the love from the beginning to enjoy God as their source of life. Hallelujah! The flow of life begets overcomers. Your What caused the church in Ephesus to change and produce overcomers? THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 6

7 Powered by TCPDF ( Sunday Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:4-8, 19, 24-32; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26-27; 3:5, 12, 21 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son (Rev. 21:7) THE LORD IS CALLING FOR OVERCOMERS The Lord s words to the overcomers in the seven churches in Asia, mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3, are associated with the parables in Matthew 13. The first parable is the parable of the sower: Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (vv. 3-8). The initial condition of the church in Ephesus can be compared to the seed sown by the wayside, which is snatched by the birds. In the beginning, the church presented an abnormal situation due to the predominance of doctrinal discussions, which produce different teachings along with old womanish tales and unending genealogies (1 Tim. 1:3-4). This situation hardened the hearts of the saints there just like the soil by the wayside, causing them to leave their first love. After receiving John s help, the church was restored back to a condition of a good ground, so that the saints in Ephesus became fruitful and ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel. At that juncture, the church in Smyrna came about. Smyrna went through a period of persecution and suffering, like the wheat that suffers because of the tares around it in the second parable: Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared... Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, first gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn (Matt. 13:24-26, 30). As we have already seen, the tares compete with the wheat for sunlight and nutrients in order to grow. This illustrates the period when the church was under persecution, during the time of the church in Smyrna. All of this suffering, however, produced many overcomers. The third parable is the parable of the mustard grain: Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches (vv ). The mustard plant is an herb used for food, but this parable presents an abnormal situation, the seed growing to the point of becoming a tree. This is not according to God s principle in creation, when on the third day, the earth produced grass, herbs and trees, each according to its own kind (Gen. 1:11-12). This parable is related to the church in Pergamos. As the mustard grain, the church should feed men through the revelation of God s Word, supplying them with life. However, during the time of the church in Pergamos, the church grew abnormally to the extent of becoming the place where Satan dwells (Rev. 2:13). According to the principle used by the Lord in the parable of the sower, the birds represent the evil one (Matt. 13:4, 19, 32); hence, the more branches, the more room there is for the evil one. Even in this condition, God still called for overcomers. We should never look for abnormal growth, opening the doors for the evil one to come in and nest. Our function is none other than feeding and supplying people with Spirit and life. Praise the Lord! Today, in each church, God is calling for overcomers. Hallelujah! Properly growing in the church life to become overcomers. Your What must the church do to fulfill its function? Additional Reading Enrich your reading of the Daily Food by simultaneously reading the books suggested below: Called to Promote the Faith chap. 4 Dong Yu Lan. God s Focus: The Kingdom chap. 3 Dong Yu Lan. The Desirable Church chap. 4 Dong Yu Lan. The Attitude of a Young Overcomer chap. 11 Editorial body. THE REVELATION OF THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH LIFE - The church is revealed 7